Jeff's Blog

Recently we had the opportunity to present our point of view on how best to solve the IAQ problem in large buildings. We knew it was a long shot that we might gain traction but here was an opportunity to do our best. Thanks to one of our team members who scoured their web site, …

The recent Bronx, NY outbreak of Legionnaires infections is a grim reminder of the deadliness of this strain of pneumonia. Like many of the outbreaks, cooling towers caused this one. Twenty have been identified but the search is still going on. Over 120 people were infected and 12 have died. Tragically it affects the most …

Air filtration, covered previously, targets solid matter (particulates) such as dirt, dust, leaves, and any visible airborne debris. Gas-phase filtration is for the unseen pollution that is airborne gases that may have an odor–but not always. This is chemistry that came from a liquid or solid to become a gas at ambient temperature. Gases act …

Did you know that air filters were originally put in air handling systems to protect the life of the equipment, not human life? And that it is not uncommon for air filters to get changed less frequently to save on maintenance costs? Monitoring input from sensors can tell operators when filters and media need changing. …

The City Council of Kansas City, Missouri, passed an Energy Empowerment Ordinance addressing energy use in existing municipal, commercial, and residential buildings. Under the ordinance, building owners will be required to track whole-building energy and water use and report it to the city annually. Participating buildings will be phased in, starting with municipal buildings over …

On April 20, 2015, I arrived in Canada’s Quebec province to commission a Total Spectrum® Air Purification System (TS-APS) installed in a new casino. Smoking will be allowed so air quality was a major issue. Unlike our first casino ten years ago, we built everything in the factory so it arrived ready to be powered …

In a recent report, UL’s scientists estimated that there are 80,000 chemicals in international commerce today, with only 3% having been fully evaluated for health impacts. The danger is exacerbated by sealing building envelopes to conserve energy and trapping some of these chemicals inside buildings. The increase in awareness of mold as a cause of …

I find that using the word “filter” conjures up very different pictures and understanding in people’s minds as everybody has the reference of home furnace filters–mostly the low end of possibilities. There are many filter types and various purposes making it very confusing. Here’s what I say to make sure who I’m talking to understands …

So Cloud connectivity for sensors is essential. It is becoming common that large monitors are placed in the common area to show building operations, energy consumption, calculated Carbon Footprint, recycling productivity, and waste reduction and where appropriate LEED points. At the AHR Expo we are demonstrating an Internet of Things, an IAQ sensor system that …

Thirty percent of commercial buildings in the United States have poor indoor air quality (IAQ), according to an article in Buildings. And a white paper from UL entitled “Dawn of the Building Performance Era,” refers to IAQ as a “sleeping giant” in the United States. The paper finds a major cause of poor indoor air …